Analysis of the high‐pressure steam import behaviour of an integrated ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol petrochemical plant under different production scenarios

Abstract

AbstractIntegrated ethylene oxide/ethylene glycols (EO/EG) plants are prominent energy consumers in the petrochemical sector, particularly concerning high‐pressure steam (HPS) usage which holds the potential for substantial energy savings. This study focuses on an unexplored territory: Examining the impact of EO catalyst type, selectivity, and glycols production capacity on HPS import in a plant in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ). Utilizing Python3 for data preprocessing and ordinary least squares linear regression analysis, we evaluate how varying catalyst loads and production scenarios influence HPS import. Regression models are created, encompassing normal and efficient HPS import scenarios, yielding positive outcomes in terms of correlation, mean error percentage, and R2 analysis. Comparing normal and efficient HPS import models highlights potential savings, uncovering opportunities to conserve between 45 and over 200 tonnes per day of HPS. We also explore the plant's HPS behaviour under 1% selectivity and production capacity reductions. Notably, catalyst activity decline markedly escalates HPS import for hybrid catalysts, while selectivity decline decreases HPS import for high‐activity catalysts. The models demonstrate that HPS import is ~150 tonnes per day more sensitive to a 1% change in selectivity compared to production capacity. Moreover, when comparing high activity and hybrid catalyst scenarios in normal and efficient cases, the most substantial HPS import difference arises under conditions of low selectivity, amounting to nearly 200 tonnes per day. Our methodology applies to other EO/EG plants. It is incorporated into our plant's energy management system, enabling continuous monitoring of steam import behaviour relative to catalyst and plant performance.